There's more to learning about different cultures then just reading... try it out!

Welcome to Cultural Dishes!

What do you think of when you think of Asian cuisine? Raw fish, noodles, exotic spices, lots of vegetables? Well, while that is true there is a lot more to it than that! You can tell a lot about a place by the food they eat: where its come from, how it's prepared, or any traditions that go along with a certain dish.

Maybe tonight would be a good night for you and your family to try something new! Just scroll down for a recipe from each country you've learned about.

Hong Kong

Dim Sum

Dim sum is a variety of small steamed goodies and dumplings that are often associated with the drinking of tea. Teahouses became popular in China around the same time as the Silk Road because of the weary travelers that it brought in. At first it was thought not appropriate to drink tea and eat at the same time because it would lead to excessive weight gain. When it was learned that tea actually aids with digestion small snacks to go along with a cup of tea became very popular. These small dishes, what many Americans would consider as appetizers, were the dim sum (which literally means "to touch your heart"). Some of the best dim sum restaurants can be found in Hong Kong. (1).

Siu Mai Dumplings With Pork and Shrimp Recipe

Ingrediants:

3 dried Chinese black or Shiitake mushrooms

6 ounces peeled deveined large shrimp

1 green onion

1 teaspoon minced ginger

3/4 cup ground pork

1 tablespoon oyster sauce

1 teaspoon Chinese rice wine or dry sherry

1 teaspoon sesame oil

1/2 teaspoon granulated sugar

about 20 gyoza wrappers (or won ton wrappers cut into circles).

(Recipe from chinesefood.about.com)

Preparation:

Soften the mushrooms by soaking in hot water for 20 to 30 minutes. Squeeze out any excess water. Cut off the stems.

Soak the shrimp in warm, lightly salted water for 5 minutes. Pat dry. Mince the mushrooms, shrimp, and green onion. Combine with the ginger and pork. Stir in the seasonings. Mix the filling ingredients thoroughly.

Lay a gyoza wrapper in front of you. Wet the edges. Put 2 to 3 teaspoons of filling in the middle, taking care not to get too close to the edges. Gather up the edges of the wrapper and gently pleat so that it forms a basket shape, with the top of the filling exposed.

Steam over boiling water until the filling is cooked through (5 to 10 minutes).

Japan

Tempura

Tempura was originally brought to Japan by the Portugese but has become a very popular dish inside and outside of Japan. Tempura is a variety of seafood and vegetables deep fried in tempura batter. (1).

Tempura Recipe

Ingredients:

Tempura batter mix*

Tempura dipping sauce*

Prawn: raw and large

Seafood: almost everything is possible

Vegetables: pumpkin, carot, sweet potatoe, eggplant, and more

Mushrooms

and much more to try.

*This ingredient may not be available in Western supermarkets, but you should be able to find it in Japanese grocery stores that exist in most large European and American cities.

(Recipe from japan-guide.com)

Procedure:

Prawn: Remove the head and the shell. Make little cuts on the inside of the curved prawn since they looknicer if their posture is straight.

Cut the vegetables in about 1cm thick pieces.

You can use whole mushrooms

Mixture: Cut various ingredients into small pieces and mix them together, eg. green onions, prawn, and carrots.

Mix Tempura flour with the amount of water described on the package. Do not mix it completely, but leave some small lumps in it.

Cover all the ingredients completely with the batter.

Mix also the mixtures made of the small cut ingredients with batter, and try to deep fry it together. Don't let them fall apart in all the pieces.

Deep fry at 180 degrees celsius. Be careful, and do not use wet ingredients because the water would react strongly with the hot oil, which may harm your skin or eyes.

When the Tempura pieces are beautifully golden, take them out, and try to remove as much oil as possible.

China

Wonton Soup

Wontons alone are a sort of fried chip that are found in dozens of different Chinese dishes. (1).

Moisten the edges of wonton skin with water and fold it to form a triangle. Press the edges together to seal.

Fill and fold the rest of the wonton skins.

Bring a large pot of water to a boil to cook the wontons.

In another pot, heat the broth. (Wontons will be cooked first in the boiling water and then added to the broth.)

Add a few wontons at a time to the boiling water, giving them room to float freely. Cook over medium heat 8 to 10 minutes.

Add the cooked wontons to hot broth. Use about 3 dozen wontons for 6 cups of broth.

India

Vegetable Curry

Indian spices are often time extremely potent but each one has its individual health benefits such as boosting the immunes system, helping irritated skin, detoxing the liver, treats arthritis, and treats depression. (1).

In a small food processor (mini-chopper), combine the garlic, ginger, and 1-tablespoon water and puree to a paste.

Heat the oil in a stew pot or Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add the coriander, cumin, cardamom, allspice, cloves, cinnamon stick, and bay leaf and cook, stirring constantly, until toasted and fragrant and the cinnamon stick unfurls, about 30 seconds. Add the onion and cook, stirring, until lightly browned, about 3 minutes.

Add the garlic- ginger paste, curry powder, and jalapeno and cook, stirring, until lightly browned and fragrant, about 1 minute.

Add the tomato and cook, stirring, until the oil begin to separate and there is a distinctive crackling sound as the ingredients "re-fry" in the oil, about 6 minutes.

Add the vegetables, season with salt and pepper and stir to combine.

Add the coconut milk and enough water to just cover the vegetables. Bring to a boil; lower the heat, and simmer, covered, until tender, about 15 to 20 minutes.

Using a slotted spoon transfer the vegetables to a bowl. Bring the broth to a boil and cook, stirring occasionally, until reduced to a sauce-like consistency. If using the chicken, add and reheat. Return the vegetables to the sauce and stir to combine. Season with salt and pepper. Transfer to a platter and garnish with the cilantro.

Server with basmati rice and chutney

Mongolia

Buuz

Buuz are extremely popular in Mongolia, especially around the Mongolian New Year when hosts will prepare over 1,000 of these meat, garlic, and onion filled dumplings for their guests. (1).

Add water to the flour and knead to form smooth, soft dough. Set the dough aside.

After some time, knead the dough again and cut into small pieces.

Roll each piece into a ball. Repeat with other pieces and leave them in a bowl.

Sprinkle some flour on the balls, to avoid them sticking to each other.

Take a large mixing bowl and combine minced meat, onion, garlic, salt, pepper and other herbs together.

Add some water, if required, to make the filling a little juicy.

Roll out the dough balls into round circles, leaving the center thicker than the edges.

Place a little meat filling in the center of the circle and seal the edges with your fingers.

Boil water in a large pot.

Dip the bottoms of each buuz in oil and place them in an inlay that will be inserted in the pot for steaming.

Ensure that the buuz do not touch each other.

Steam the buuz for 15 minutes.

Open the lid and fan some air with the help of a cutting board or newspaper, to give them a reddish glossy look.

Serve hot.

Taiwan

San Bei Ji

San Bei Ji literally translates to "three-cup chicken" and is an extremely popular dish in Taiwan. This name is very literal in the sense that it takes three cups of three different liquids to make this dish. (1). San Bei Ji is traditionally served in a clay pot that is heated and tastes really good with an ice cold beer. (2).

San Bei Ji Recipe

Ingredients:

1/2 Chicken

1 fresh large old ginger root, cut into 10 to 15 pieces

6 cloves of garlic

Fresh basil leaves

1/4 cup Sesame Oil

1/4 cup rice wine

1/4 cup soy sauce

2 Tsp. Sugar

(Recipe from sanbeiji.com)

Procedure:

Wash chicken and cut into small pieces using a cleaver. (Traditional style: chicken is hacked into small parts about 1 inches in diameter, leaving bones in for flavor.)